Vehicles such as passenger cars typically include seats for the use of the driver and other occupants. In many vehicles, the position of the seats may be adjusted for the comfort of the occupants. Adjustment options, particularly for the first row of seats, typically include the capability to move the seat in fore and aft directions by operation of a track assembly which mounts the seat to the vehicle floor. These existing systems typically employ a generally U-shaped comfort adjustment bar (also known as a “towel bar”) which is operatively connected to the seat track locking system. Each of the legs of the U shaped towel bar extend, respectively, into the openings formed between first and second sets of upper and lower tracks, with one or more of the ends operatively connected to release the track locking system to unlock the seat from the lower track when the end portion of the towel bar is raised, thereby allowing the occupant to slidably position the seat along the length of the tracks as desired. One such adjustable seat track assembly is disclosed in PCT Publication No. WO 2010/080597 A1.
Some vehicle seats, particularly first row seats, may include the capability of folding the seatback forward then sliding the entire seat forward to facilitate access to the second row of seats. This is known as an “easy entry” option, and is commonly seen in two-door vehicles. The easy entry option allows the generally upright back portion of the seat to be dumped, or pivoted, forward from its normal position, at the same time unlocking the seat to allow the seat to be slidably positioned forward in the passenger compartment to provide more spaced behind the seat to gain entrance into the second row of seats.
Seats which include an easy entry capability may also include a memory system, typically disposed in one of the pair of seat tracks, and configured to remember a longitudinal position of the corresponding upper track with respect to the corresponding lower track such that, whenever the seatback is dumped forward and the seat slid forward for easy entry to the second row, and the seat is thereafter slidably positioned rearward for use by the front row occupant, the sliding seat automatically stops and locks at the previously selected use position. Vehicle seats including easy entry capabilities with position memory systems are disclosed in PCT Publication No. WO 2010/080593 A1.